Foster + Partners wins Cairo project

December 2015

Foster + Partners, a leading UK-based architectural firm, said it has secured a major contract to design the masterplan for the Maspero Triangle District, a mixed-use project featuring residential, commercial and retail developments in downtown Cairo, Egypt.

The contract was awarded by Egyptian Ministry of State for Urban Renewal and Informal Settlements (Muris) after the British company won a competition for designing the masterplan for the project.

The neighbourhood, situated on the banks of the River Nile, is characterised by its informal settlements and dense urban fabric. The 35-hectare masterplan aims to introduce new residential, commercial and retail spaces, while rehousing the majority low income population in the same area and retaining its unique character and spatial attributes, said a senior official.

“We believe this is an exciting opportunity to transform the lives of the people that live in this neighbourhood – supporting the vibrant public realm by giving them greener community spaces, and a better place to live and work, while creating new spaces for offices, retail and residences,” remarked Grant Brooker, a senior executive partner at Foster + Partners.

The settlement prioritises pedestrian traffic with its narrow, shaded streets; it also connects across the river to the exclusive neighbourhood of Zamalek via a footbridge that boosts the connectivity of the area, said the top architectural firm.

At the foot of the bridge, there is the ‘Lagoon’, lined with a number of cafés, restaurants and shops.

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